ISO Ratings

[bob]

Hi everyone - this is my first posting. I have the S1 (18 months now) and may upgrade to S2, but will probably wait for an S3 !!??

Does anyone know how the slowest (320 ISO) rating on the S1 compares in quality - "grain", noise or whatever - to the slowest (100 ISO) rating on the S2? Is it the same or is it comparable to film, where my S1 slowest "film-speed" would sit between 200 & 400 on the S2?

Be grateful for any replies - Cheers

BOB

[PaulN]

I can't give any direct comparisons to the S1, never having used one, but I find my S2 has less noise at 1600 than my old D1 had at 400. On every ISO step there appears to be less noise than a comparable speed film grain.

One thing about waiting for the S3, this camera's only been out for 4 or so months and Fuji's still selling them faster than they can make them. It might be a while before the S3 comes out. I've seen 30" x 30" prints from the S2 and they're awsome.

Paul.

[bob]

Thanks for your reply PaulN

You're right about an "S3", but I reckon I can make do with the S1 for a year or so yet, by which time there may be something newer than the S2 in the pipeline. You're also right about the blow-up quality - even from my S1, a client produced a 5ft exhibition stand from an original file and another a billboard advert by outputting the file to trannie and re-scanning at billboard resolution - although that's a slightly different thing, of course. It does mean, however, that we shouldn't be scared of clients wanting to do silly things with digital at a later stage! Anyone want to buy my Mamiya RZ kit?!!

Lots of logged views on my original question, but only one reply, so maybe I should explain better. The S1 starts at ISO320 and the S2 starts at ISO100 - at those settings, are both exactly the same in terms of noise, resolution and just plain quality? If they are, that makes the S1 a better bet for action, people etc and if not, then it's probably worth upgrading to the S2?

Cheers

BOB